European Stocks Higher, ECB Awaited

2026-06-11 07:37 By Joana Taborda 1 min. read

Stocks in Europe traded higher on Thursday, with the STOXX 50 adding 0.7% and the STOXX 600 gaining 0.5%, as investors assessed the evolving situation in the Middle East and brace for the ECB's monetary policy decision.

The US military announced that it had completed strikes in Iran, while Israel reported missile launches from Lebanon and Kuwait closed its airspace amid what it described as "Iranian aggression".

Meanwhile, the ECB is widely expected to deliver its first rate hike since 2023 later in the morning.

Tech stocks provided support as the semiconductor sector attempted to recover from recent losses.

STMicroelectronics rose 2.7%, ASML Holding gained 2.6%, and Infineon advanced 1.2%.

Meanwhile, Hugo Boss surged more than 6% after its largest shareholder, Frasers Group, launched a $2 billion takeover bid for the fashion house.

On the other hand, Novo Nordisk (-1.2%), SAP (-4.8%) and BMW (-2.5%) were lower.

Travel and leisure stocks were also among the biggest laggards.



News Stream
European Stocks Higher, ECB Awaited
Stocks in Europe traded higher on Thursday, with the STOXX 50 adding 0.7% and the STOXX 600 gaining 0.5%, as investors assessed the evolving situation in the Middle East and brace for the ECB's monetary policy decision. The US military announced that it had completed strikes in Iran, while Israel reported missile launches from Lebanon and Kuwait closed its airspace amid what it described as "Iranian aggression". Meanwhile, the ECB is widely expected to deliver its first rate hike since 2023 later in the morning. Tech stocks provided support as the semiconductor sector attempted to recover from recent losses. STMicroelectronics rose 2.7%, ASML Holding gained 2.6%, and Infineon advanced 1.2%. Meanwhile, Hugo Boss surged more than 6% after its largest shareholder, Frasers Group, launched a $2 billion takeover bid for the fashion house. On the other hand, Novo Nordisk (-1.2%), SAP (-4.8%) and BMW (-2.5%) were lower. Travel and leisure stocks were also among the biggest laggards.
2026-06-11
European Stocks Set for Lower Open
European equity markets were on track for a weaker open on Thursday as investors remained cautious ahead of the European Central Bank’s policy decision. The ECB is widely expected to raise its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 2.25% as policymakers seek to contain inflationary pressures fueled by soaring energy costs linked to the Middle East conflict. If delivered, it would mark the central bank’s first rate increase since September 2023. Meanwhile, the US and Iran exchanged attacks this week in a major breach of their ceasefire, although the US military said it has completed its latest strikes on Iran, raising hopes that peace negotiations could resume. In premarket trading, both Euro Stoxx 50 and Stoxx 600 futures were down about 0.5%.
2026-06-11
European Stocks Slip Ahead of ECB
European stocks ended lower on Wednesday, with the STOXX 50 declining 0.4% and the STOXX 600 remaining flat, as investors adopted a cautious stance amid renewed Middle East tensions following US-Iran strikes and ahead of the ECB’s monetary policy decision on Thursday. The ECB is widely expected to raise interest rates by 25 basis points, with investors closely monitoring policymakers’ signals on the future path of monetary policy. In the US, the May CPI report confirmed inflation reached a three-year high of 4.2%, matching expectations and reinforcing bets on a Federal Reserve rate hike in December. Meanwhile, UK lenders extended losses from the previous session after a JP Morgan note warned of a potentially greater impact from new Chinese regulations. STMicroelectronics also closed slightly lower, despite an upgrade to "buy" from "neutral" by BofA Global Research.
2026-06-10